Ever wanted to be in charge? Well, in my own little world I will be, one day. Just not quite yet. I'm a bit tired at the moment... maybe I'll take over after I've had my little nap.
The United Dingdom - stating the bleeding obvious so you don't have to.
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Friday, 21 July 2017

Always look on the bright side

David Davis is in bullish mood, as befits his Brexit
Bulldog persona portrayed on Radio 4’s Dead Ringers. Meanwhile the malcontents
of Remain spin yarns of endless protracted ‘transition deals’ which sound like
nothing so much as the case of Jarndyce v Jarndyce in Bleak House, whereby the
lawyers effectively spend all there was to be inherited. It’s as if some would prefer
to see the country punished; brought to its knees in chains before the high and
mighty EU and becoming a burden, rather than running free and becoming richer,
to the benefit of all.

But this is the great human dichotomy, the contrast between
optimism and pessimism played out every day on both the national stage and at
the kitchen sink. Glass half full, glass half empty – for every positive outlook
there is a Newtonian opposite reaction to dampen the mood. In every cloud, some
find the silver lining; and while the optimist proclaims we live in the best of
all possible worlds, the pessimist fears this is true.

Take the climate debate, for instance: None can know the
future but just as preachers prophecy the end of days and the heavenly hereafter,
the climatists claim to see the fireball of hell that awaits us – global warming
– and set to appeasing Gaia by using yet more of her resources to build massive
altars on which to sacrifice the nation’s wealth. Christopher Brooker’s
excellent article is a must-read for those who see the futility at the heart of
every shame-driven green project.

Where are the cheery bright-side observers? We need more
men like Joe; the eternal optimist. At every bad situation he would always say “It
could have been worse.”. The Somerset Levels floods? According to Joe it was a
mere blip. The great financial crash? A simple correction. “It could
have been worse” he blithely recited, with a grin, “It didn’t affect me at all,
because I had no investments and nothing to lose.”

His three best friends hated this cheery acceptance of
every ill wind as bringing sub-optimal gloom, so they came up with a story they
thought not even Joe could find a worse scenario for. The next Saturday, only
two of his friends showed up for their regular tee time. When Joe arrived’
slightly late, he looked at his watch and asked “Where's Geoff?”

One of the others said ”Didn't you hear? Yesterday, Geoff
found his wife in bed with another man, shot them both, and then turned the gun
on himself.” Joe looked shocked, but then shook his head and declared “That’s
terrible... but it could have been worse.” His friends were aghast and one
asked, “How the hell could it have been worse? Your best friend just killed
himself, his wife and her lover!” And Joe replied, “Yes, but if it had happened
two days ago, it would have been me!”